Structural Optimization for Reliability Using Nonlinear Goal Programming

This report details the development of a reliability based multi-objective design tool for solving structural optimization problems. Based on two different optimization techniques, namely sequential unconstrained minimization and nonlinear goal programming, the developed design method has the capability to take into account the effects of variability on the proposed design through a user specified reliability design criterion. In its sequential unconstrained minimization mode, the developed design tool uses a composite objective function, in conjunction with weight ordered design objectives, in order to take into account conflicting and multiple design criteria. Multiple design criteria of interest including structural weight, load induced stress and deflection, and mechanical reliability. The nonlinear goal programming mode, on the other hand, provides for a design method that eliminates the difficulty of having to define an objective function and constraints, while at the same time has the capability of handling rank ordered design objectives or goals. For simulation purposes the design of a pressure vessel cover plate was undertaken as a test bed for the newly developed design tool. The formulation of this structural optimization problem into sequential unconstrained minimization and goal programming form is presented. The resulting optimization problem was solved using: (i) the linear extended interior penalty function method algorithm; and (ii) Powell's conjugate directions method. Both single and multi-objective numerical test cases are included demonstrating the design tool's capabilities as it applies to this design problem

Improvement of drought tolerance in five different cultivars of Vicia faba with foliar application of ascorbic acid or silicon

Aim of study: To explore the role of ascorbic acid (AsA) or silicon (Si) in improving drought tolerance in five faba bean cultivars under irrigation water deficit (IWD).Area of study: The experimental farm; 30° 36′ N, 32° 16′ E, Egypt.Material and methods: Three drip irrigation regimes (WW, well-watered, 4000 m3 water ha-1; MD, moderate drought, 3000 m3 water ha-1; and SD, severe drought, 2000 m3 water ha-1) were applied to plants, which were sprayed 25, 40, and 55 days after sowing with 1.5 mM AsA or 2.0 mM Si vs distilled water as a control.Main results: Drought negatively affected physiological attributes (photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange parameters, relative water content, membrane stability index, electrolyte leakage (EL), and lipid peroxidation), which restricted plant growth and yields, and stimulated alterations in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities. However, AsA or Si application mitigated drought effects on physiological attributes, improving growth, yields and water use efficiency by raising antioxidant activities and suppressing lipid peroxidation and EL in stressful cultivars. The mitigating effects of AsA and Si were more pronounced under MD.Research highlights: ‘Nubaria-2’, ‘Giza-843’, and ‘Sakha-3’ were more tolerant than ‘Giza-716’ and ‘Sakha-4’, suggesting the use of AsA or Si to ameliorate the IWD effects on stressful cultivars. Certain physiological traits exhibited positive association with growth and seed yield, demonstrating their importance in enhancing seed yield under irrigation treatments

Priprava nekoliko novih piridina, tienopiridina i pirido[2,3:4\u27,5\u27]tieno[3\u27,2\u27-d]pirimidin-8-ona iz 2-acetilbenzoimidazola

Reaction of 2-acetylbenzoimidazole 1 with some arylaldehydes under different conditions gave chalcones, 1,5-pentanediones and pyridines. Treatment of chalcones with various types of reagents gave the corresponding new pyridines, thienopyridines, pyrido[2,3:4\u27,5\u27]thieno[3\u27,2\u27-d]- pyrimidin-8-ones via initial addition of active methylene or amino group to the double bond followed by cyclization.Reakcija 2-acetilbenzoimidazola s nekim arilaldehidima pod razli~itim uvjetima daje halkon, 1,5-pentandione i piridine. Obrada halkona s razli~itim reagensima daje nove piridine, tienopiridine i pirido[2,3:4\u27,5\u27]ti -eno[3\u27,2\u27-d]pirimidin-8-one preko po~etne adicije metilena ili amino grupe na dvostruku vezu i nakon toga slijedi ciklizacija

Impact of Tactile Stimulation on Neurobehavioral Development of Premature Infants in Assiut City

Objective: To assess impact of tactile stimulation on neurobehavioral development of premature infants in Assiut City. Design: Quasi-experimental research design. Setting: The study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Assiut University Children Hospital, Assiut General Hospital, Health Insurance Hospital (El-Mabarah Hospital) and El-Eyman for Gynecology and Obstetric Hospital. Subjects: The study subjects included a convenient sample of 50 premature infants divided into study or control groups and they were matched with gestational age and birth weight. Tool: Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale is used to assess neurobehavioral development of infants from birth to two months of age. Method: Premature infants divided into two groups; (a) study group who receiving tactile stimulation (b) control group who receiving routine hospital care only. Neurobehavioral development using Brazelton’s Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS) was assessed at initial contact and after 5 days of intervention and on discharge. Results: showed that the premature infants of the study had better neurobehavioral development than those in the control group with statistical significant differences were found between the study and the control groups Conclusion: It was concluded from the findings of the current study that premature infants who received tactile stimulation had better neurobehavioral development than those who didn’t receive it and had only the hospital routine care. Keywords: Tactile stimulation, neurobehavioral development, premature infant

Toll-Like Receptors: The Key of Immunotherapy in MSCs

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potential candidates for various applications in the fields of immunotherapy. Their multilineage differentiation capability and immune modulatory features allow their prospective application for the management of different immunological circumstances. However, the local microenvironment, in addition to the source of the MSCs can control diverse biological features of the cells. Indeed, throughout their therapeutic application, MSCs may interact with their microenvironment through their expressed toll-like-receptors (TLRs), producing immune modulating reactions. Stimulation of MSCs before or within the potential treatment procedures with distinct TLR ligands may assist as an effective step controlling the biological function of the MSCs as needed in different therapeutic stages of the disease

New Algorithm for Drawings of 3-Planar Graphs

Graphs arise in a natural way in many applications, together with the need to be drawn. Except for very small instances, drawing a graph by hand becomes a very complex task, which must be performed by automatic tools. The field of graph drawing is concerned with finding algorithms to draw graph in an aesthetically pleasant way, based upon a certain number of aesthetic criteria that define what a good drawing, (synonyms: diagrams, pictures, layouts), of a graph should be. This problem can be found in many such as in the computer networks, data networks, class inter-relationship diagrams in object oriented databases and object oriented programs, visual programming interfaces, database design systems, software engineering…etc. Given a plane graph G, we wish to find a drawing of G in the plane such that the vertices of G are represented as grid points, and the edges are represented as straight-line segments between their endpoints without any edge-intersection. Such drawings are called planar straight-line drawings of G. An additional objective is to minimize the area of the rectangular grid in which G is drawn. In this paper we introduce a new algorithms that finds an embedding of 3-planar graph. Keywords: 3- Planar Graph; Graph Drawing; drawing on grid

Effects of ammonia toxicity on growth performance, cortisol, glucose and hematological response of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Ammonia is a production limiting factor in the aquaculture media affecting fish production. A study was designed to scrutinize effects of ammonia on growth performance, survival, cortisol and hematological parameters of Tilapia fish. The study examined effects of 96 h-incubation of male and female Tilapia with 3 mg ammonium chloride per a liter of water compared to control. The study has been carried out in the physiology laboratory of the department of animal and fish production, Alexandria University. Fourteen aquaria were used (6 control and 8 ammoniated). Each aquarium contained 6 fish (half the population males and the other have females). Duration of the control reared fish was 30 days, however the duration for ammoniated group was 4 days. In all stressed fish, there found decreases in final body weight, average daily gain and specific growth rate as compared to controls. Hematological parameters revealed increases (P0.05) in total leukocyte counts in both males and females exposed to stressors. There were significant decreases (P0.05) in red blood cell, hematocrit value and hemoglobin concentration in both males and females. There were non-significant differences (P0.10) in these parameters between males and females. Exposing both male and female tilapia to ammonia, resulted in increases (P0.05) in mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) didn’t change in male tilapia, while females expressed increased MCH values in the ammonia condition. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) decreased (P0.05) under ammonia with no differences between males and females. Differential leukocyte count exhibited increases (P0.05) in neutrophils in ammonia-exposed males and females and decreases (P0.05) in eosinophils and monocytes in males, but not in females. However, lymphocytes decreased (P0.05) in both females and males exposed to ammonia. Cortisol level increased (P0.05) by about 2 folds in both sexes of fish exposed to ammonia (2.95 and 2.72 vs6.40 and 6.48 ng/ml in control males and females vs ammonia-exposed males and females).Rearing tilapia fish in media containing high level (3mg/l water) of ammonium chloride not only deteriorated growth rate but it also negatively affected the health wellbeing.

Chemical Composition and In Vitro Digestibility of Pleurotus ostreatus Spent Rice Straw

The nutritive value of rice straw (RS) and Pleurotus ostreatus spent rice straw (SRS) was studied by analyzing its proximate composition, fiber fractions, in vitro digestibility, amino acids content and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The possibility of replacing berseem clover (BC; Trifolium alexandrinum) with SRS at different levels also was studied. Results showed higher protein content for SRS compared to RS (3.4 to 11.7%) while, DM, OM, NFE, CF, NDF, ADF, ADL, hemicellulose and cellulose were less for SRS than for RS. Highest concentration of amino acids (mg/100 g) was in SRS compared to RS. The SEM showed an extensive damage of SRS when compared to RS. Data also showed that SRS had higher in vitro dry matter disappearance (DMD) and in vitro organic matter disappearance (OMD) compared to RS. Results of in vitro study also, indicated that the levels of 50 and 90% replacement had the highest values of DMD and OMD compared to the other levels. It could be concluded from this study that treatment of RS with Pleurotus ostreatus improved the potential feeding value of the resultant substrates (i.e. SRS) as feed resources for ruminants and possibility of replacing BC with SRS at high levels of up to 50 or 90% from diets